TRADERS in Birkdale Village have accused parking wardens of harming their businesses, by being too keen to give tickets to motorists parking outside their shops.

Around 50 traders have signed a petition demanding answers from Sefton Council over the claims.

The sub-postmaster at Birkdale Post Office, Paul Sealey, wrote in protest to the Midweek Visiter, Southport MP John Pugh and Birkdale councillors.

In the letter it is alleged that wardens:WALKED up to vehicles as they parked and noted down registration numbers before the driver had left the vehicle.

HID from view before issuing tickets

RAN across Liverpool Road to intercept a lady who stopped to post a letter.

Birkdale councillor Richard Hands said: “There were some allegations in there which need to be looked at. I will pass this on to the council officers for their comments.”

Mr Sealey wrote: “At a time when businesses are struggling to survive due to economic circumstance... we in Birkdale Village now seem to be under attack from another source, and have strong concerns about the damage being done to the village as a result of what is happening.

“I cannot convey to you the anger felt at what is happening, nor indeed the puzzlement as to why we are suddenly being victimised in this way.”

The petition demands answers to four questions:

WHY is the village being “targeted”?

WHO stands to gain from this?

ON what basis is the volume of manpower being deployed?

WHY is Birkdale Village subject to one-hour parking restrictions, when Ainsdale village has two hours?

Figures obtained by the Visiter through a Freedom of Information request in April revealed the amount of parking tickets issued in Birkdale in the last 12 months.

On York Road five tickets were issued in the last year, with 35 on Weld Road, 12 on Waterloo Road, 189 on Alma Road, 141 on Liverpool Road, 66 on Rotten Row, and 19 on Trafalgar Road.

Sefton Council was not able to comment by the time the Visiter went to press.